Grace: Chapter 1
by Dahunts
Summary: A story of compassion, friendship, drama, and love. AN: Any comments or anything would be greatly appreciated. If this goes well, I'll upload a new chapter every week(?) Also feel free to message me directly to talk! I take no credit for any lyrics or anything found to be real. I may have also left a hidden reference or two for other animes as well. See if you can find them.
1. Chapter 1

I'll never forget the day I met her. Cold winds and much snowfall made it quite a bitter winter; And I was without a home. I had been evicted from my apartment some time ago, due to the rent I simply didn't have money to pay with. I was sort of a writer, so pay was somewhat scarce. No one really thought my works were worth their time; Though, with each new writing I attempted, I poured my heart and soul into it. But it was of no use. I was now taking shelter in an alley, doing whatever I could to keep warm. But as fate would have it, she found me.

"What are you doing here in weather like this?" she asked me. She wore a black dress that practically defined elegance. Her long, gorgeous dark hair was styled into twin tails, which rested on both of her shoulders. The front of her hair was styled in such a way that it covered her left eye. from what I could see, her right eye was red. But it wasn't an unattractive, bloodshot red; It was of a beautiful crimson red color. From this, I felt it safe to assume her left eye was the same. Her hands looked so soft, warm, and inviting. Her face was absolutely flawless; I couldn't find a single blemish. And last but certainly not least was her harmonic voice which resembled a symphony composed by Beethoven. I was ashamed to so much as be in her presence.


	2. Chapter 2

"I...I..." I was unable to speak due to the shame I felt and the bitter cold that surrounded me. "Perhaps if I took you out of the cold, you could tell me?" she assured. From this, a small spark of hope was set within me. "would you be so kind as to accompany me to the nearest cafe', sir?" she continued. It had been a while since I had eaten a meal made specifically for me. I gave her a nod, though, I started to wonder about her motive for helping me.

I followed her to a cafe' of her choosing. Once we were settled inside, she felt it appropriate to question me again, and I was more than willing to comply. "What is your name?" she asked me. I cleared my throat. "My... name is Shawn. Ecker." I gave her a slight nod of assurance. "May I ask you of your name, ma'am?" From the looks of her, I assumed she was involved in the more elegant side of life, so I thought it would be best to keep more of a formal tone to my speech. "My name is Tokisaki Kurumi. You may refer to me as Kurumi." she smiled. Even her name was exquisite. The name seemed native to Japan, though, (and I mean no disrespect), she didn't exactly look Japanese. I had observed her beautiful eye, and I could not see any resemblance to Japan or any Asian heritage.

"Please excuse my asking Ms. Kurumi, but how did you get your name? If I'm not mistaken, it seems Japanese, but we're in America. Plus, you don't exactly appear Japanese..." A waitress returned with a plate of fine Italian pasta with a side of bread and a cup of water for me and a cup of tea for her. I didn't care much for tea. She simply sipped her tea, almost as though I never asked her the question. "Please, forgive me." I felt apologizing would be best, even if I hadn't done anything wrong. I definitely wouldn't want to offend the woman who had just given me my first decent meal in a while. "Why are you apologizing?" she began. "You were simply making observations and showing interest." she smiled warmly at me. "My name simply has, always been."


	3. Chapter 3

I did not understand what she meant by this, nor did I feel it was my position to ask. I looked at my plate of food. It was definitely more appetizing than anything I had found in the garbage cans. Had she not been there, I would probably tear into the food like some sort of savage beast. But I was in the presence of a lady; a refined one by the looks of it. I picked up the fork beside my plate and proceeded to take small bites of my pasta, being very careful to fully chew and swallow. I then picked up my napkin and wiped my mouth. This process went on for about several minutes. As I was eating, I glanced up and saw her watching me, grinning. I pretended I didn't notice.

I finished my meal a short time later. "Thank you for your generosity, Ms. Kurumi." I said after wiping my mouth for the last time. "But can I ask," I continued. "why would you help a person like me? Why not continue about your business like everyone else?" She took another sip of her tea before answering. "Well, if I just walked past you, letting you freeze and starve, what kind of person would that make me?" she asked, giving a warm smile.

If only people could hear her, they would be put to shame.

Though I know the question was rhetorical, I couldn't help but answer. "I wouldn't blame you if you kept walking. You'd just be like everyone else. I would just see it as normal." "It's okay not to be normal, Shawn." she quickly responded. "In fact, I'm quite different from the people you see around you.." I smiled slightly and nodded. I assumed she was referring to her generosity. Of course, I've been wrong before.

"So, Shawn." she began. "How are you going to repay me for the meal?" I looked at my now-empty plate and thought about it. The question seemed strange, since I was homeless. I had nothing. And she knew it. But she was within her right to ask me. I looked at her. "I have no money or material possessions, as you can see... But I swear my loyalty to you. Wherever you go, I will follow. Whatever you ask, I'll do." "And that is precisely what I wanted!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"And that's how it began.." Shawn finished. He sat there in that dimly-lit room, waiting for the man across from him to ask another question. "Right. So, what happened next?" asked the man, writing small notes in his notepad.


	4. Chapter 4

Once the bill had been paid, we left the cafe'. "Your service to me will start now, Shawn." She told me. "Of course. Did you have something for me to do now?" I asked. "Yes, actually.." She began. She then leaned in close to me and whispered her request. I was taken back at first, but I was in no position to question her. Why would she want me to help her lure a stranger into an alley with her? She didn't seem like _that_ kind of woman. I responded to her with a plan, unsure of what her intent was.

We waited by a nearby alley together. I firmly gripped her arm as she feigned a face of helplessness. It was about three in the afternoon (according to a nearby antique shop which displayed clocks in front of the window), and it was lightly snowing. There was almost no one walking along the sidewalks. A man suddenly began walking along the sidewalk we were on. I glanced at Kurumi and she shot me a quick smirk. "Hey, you." I called out to him, not even sure if the plan would work. "What is it?" he replied. He was a young man; I'd say he was in his late twenties. He was Caucasian, had long, light, straight blonde hair, and hazel/brown eyes. He wore torn jeans, a light jacket, and a baseball cap. (In all honesty, just your typical douchebag.) "Lookin' for some fun?" I continued. "Got a bitch just waiting for it right here." Kurumi held her timid, helpless-looking face away from me and the man. The man eyed her down like a lion stalking its prey. It was quite obvious he liked what he saw (And who could blame him?). "How much you chargin'?" he finally asked. "Fifty an hour for everything." I responded. He smiled and nodded. I've never seen a person pull out their wallet so fast. He gave me the money. She led him down into the back of the alley where it was darker and more secluded. I stood there by myself, wondering if she was really going to do what I thought she was thinking. It wasn't long before I heard screams of agony from the man, followed by horrifying tearing and ripping noises. I peered down the alley and had to fight the urge to vomit. Limbs and fingers were scattered everywhere in their own little pools of blood. Every inch of the walls were painted with the poor soul's blood. And the smell. The air was filled with the smell of blood and pure fear. I stopped looking and trembled against the wall, slumping down to my knees. What have I done?

"So, you're admitting that a murder took place that day?" the man asked Shawn. "No, not at all." Shawn answered, sarcastically. The man continued taking notes in his notepad. The lighting in the room was dark, making Shawn feel uncomfortable. The man across from Shawn wore a camouflaged outfit. On his chest was a tag with the word "Commander" imprinted on it, making Shawn even more nervous. "Continue." he ordered.

When she had reappeared from the alley, she found me, slumped against a wall, panicking. "My, my." she said, casually. "I knew it may frighten you, but I didn't think I'd see you like this.." I looked up at her. "What..was that?" I asked, struggling to form words through my trembling. "I absorbed his life force." She responded, still casual in everything she said. "Although, you shouldn't feel too bad for him." she continued. "He would have done unspeakable things to me if he could. People like that don't belong in this world." I managed to climb back to my feet. "What are you?" I asked, managing to speak normally again. "Why, I'm just a young lady trying to survive in a cruel, cruel world!" she joked. She let out a small laugh before continuing. "Perhaps I'll explain later. Let's find a hotel now; It is getting late after all." She then held up a wallet that would belong to a male. From this, I gathered it must have belonged to the pour soul who spent his final minutes trying to have a good time; Who is now splattered all across the walls. His wallet seemed quite large (for your average douchebag). I nodded. Besides, I was too far down Shit Creek to say "no" now. I remembered he also paid me before his demise, so we had more than enough money for at least one night in a hotel.


	5. Chapter 5

We managed to find a nearby hotel with reasonable prices, and situated ourselves on the fifth floor. (She insisted on having a good view). It was about seven when we reached our room. The room itself hate two beds, two nightstands and a small tv. The carpet was soft and sort of fluffy. The bathroom, which consisted of a toilet, a shower and a sink with a mirror above it looked pretty clean. Finally, two large windows rested on the wall on the side of the room opposite to the door. Through the windows, I could see a gorgeous view of the city; Well, as gorgeous as a light, polluted snowfall would be. It almost made me forget what had happened earlier. I realized it had been a while since I was in a room so comfortable; a place I could comfortably sleep, even if it was just for a night. I also realized this is the first time anyone had showed me such kindness, all things considered.

I chose the bed closest to the window. I figured the scenery would help ease any tension I had. "The hotel is absolutely beautiful!" she began. "I sure am a lucky lady for having such a thoughtful man pay for this!" she joked.

I was less than amused. I didn't answer her.

She could tell how I felt and simply shrugged, smiling at her own joke. "So, I suppose you want to talk about it, don't you?" She asked as she sat on her bed. I looked to her and nodded. "If I may, I want to know everything about you." I told her. "Oh Shawn! You flatter me!" she joked.

I was less than amused.

She sighed. "You're not a very fun person are you? Well, since you've sworn your loyalty to me, I suppose you have a right to know." I listened closely. "I am what's known as a Spirit." she began. "An extraordinary being from a different dimension. I possess power you can not fathom. But when I use my power, it drains my time, or life. Whichever you wish to call it. When all my time is depleted, I will be no more. Even now, my time is ticking away." She then lifted her hair which covered her left eye. Her eye did not match the right one, which was a beautiful crimson-red. Her eye was that of a gold-yellow color. And her pupil resembled the face of a grandfather clock, which was moving as any ordinary analog clock would.

There was something about her left eye that was magnificent. There was something about it that soothed my soul. I found myself almost in a hypnotic state, gazing at her eye. She noticed my gaze and smiled before lowering her hair again.


	6. Chapter 6

"The only way for me to survive is if I consume people; Like that man from earlier. Though, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. I think it's fun to play with your food. And the taste..." she continued. "How long have you been alive?" I interrupted. "Why Shawn! You never ask a woman her age!" she joked.

I was less than amused.

She shrugged and continued.

"I honestly can't remember. By human standards, 16? Maybe 17 or 18? Maybe I've always been. I do not know. The only thing I pertaining to my origin that I remember is coming to this world, which was followed by a tremendous catastrophe." "You're referring to a Spacial Quake?" I interrupted again. She nodded.

A Spacial Quake: It's hard for me to say exactly what it is, or how they happen, but I do know that when they happen, you need to get the fuck out of the area. Large scale or small, they obliterate anything unlucky enough to get caught in them. And of course, as fate would have it, I was in the same room as one of the main causes of such a catastrophe; Kurumi Tokisaki.

"All right." the man nodded, still writing frantically in his notepad. "So basically, she's a cannibalistic monster from a different dimension that can cause Space Quakes?" the man asked. Shawn clenched his fists a bit, still trying to keep his composure. "Don't call her that. She isn't a monster to me.." Shawn insisted. "I wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for her." Shawn finished. The man pulled out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and a zippo. "You smoke?" he asked before putting a cigarette to his mouth and lighting it. "Occasionally" Shawn answered, calming down a bit. The man passed the pack and lighter. Shawn put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. "Continue." the man commanded as he picked his pen back up.

Obviously, it was a lot for me to take in. I laid on my bed, facing up at the ceiling. "And how do you feel about all this Shawn?" she asked me. "I don't know." I started. "Who am I to be so lucky; To have a being from a different dimension, not only be in my presence, but to feed me and give me a place to sleep?" She seemed almost surprised by my answer. "However." I continued. "Though I appreciate you helping me; The murders.. I'm just conflicted; Confused about how I feel about all this.." She approached me and placed her hand on my cheek. The same hand she used to kill with was so soft warm, and inviting against my face. I looked into her eye. "Regardless of how you feel Shawn, you've sworn your loyalty to me." She smiled, taking her hand off my face. "It's getting late. Maybe some sleep would help you?" I looked over at a clock located above the tv. It was about seven thirty. Time seemed to be passing by faster than usual. It may have been early, but I didn't mind. After all, it was the first time in a long time that I was able to sleep in a bed.

She turned off the lamp closer to her bed as I faced the windows. I shut my eyes.

But I could feel her. Staring at me. Watching me. I did my best to ignore it and get some sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

I awoke the next morning fairly early. I rubbed my eyes a bit before looking out the window. The sun that was just peering over the horizon exposed a light fog on the ground and some incoming dark clouds in the sky. Anyone who had experienced a winter like this one could tell that those particular clouds that I was seeing meant there was a chance for some incoming snow. It didn't really surprise me. I looked over at the clock on the wall. It was about six. I looked over at the other bed in the room to find that my murderous companion had already awoken and gotten out of bed. I got out of my bed to look for her, but soon found out she was in the bathroom, taking a shower. I noticed her dress was folded neatly on her nightstand next to her bed.

The water to the shower stopped . I quickly walked over to the bathroom door and knocked to talk to her. "Ms. Kurumi?" I called to her. "Yes Shawn? Is everything all right?" I heard, muffled by the door. "I'll be leaving the room for a minute to give you some privacy." I assured her. "Thank you Shawn." I heard, followed by the sound of a shower curtain being moved. I then walked out of the room, happy that I was able to avoid an awkward situation. But I wondered. Could it be that she honestly thought I would still be sleeping, or did she not care at all? As I pondered the question, I took the elevator down to the lobby. I looked through some large windows, which showed what little sun there was at the moment. I noticed that even though there was still some snow on the ground, it was beginning to melt. "Excuse me? Sir?" I heard from behind me. I saw a young woman working behind the desk used for checking people in. "It's still pretty early. Why are you awake, may I ask?" she asked me. "Well, I was getting kind of hungry, so I just found myself wandering around for something to eat." I answered. "My apologies sir. I guess we forgot to tell you that we provide room service here. There should be some menus in the nightstands next to the beds." she responded. "Oh, okay. Thank you." I then made my way back to the elevator, sure that my cannibalistic companion was now dressed.

I finally made it back to the room we were staying in. I knocked on the door and called her name before entering the room. Kurumi stood in the middle of the room, finishing getting dressed. "Perfect timing!" she exclaimed. "Be a dear and come zip up the back of my dress for me, please?" She then turned her back to me and lifted her hair, revealing a zipper that was set at her lower back. I approached her and began to pull the zipper up. As I was zipping up her dress, the smell of her hair caught my attention. It smelled like a ripened field of freshly grown strawberries. If I was a sucker for anything, it was definitely strawberries. The smell was so... intoxicating; I nearly lost myself. I quickly finished zipping her dress and made my way towards my nightstand. "Would we have enough funds to order some breakfast?" I asked as I pulled out a menu. "I don't see why not." she responded, fixing her hair into a ponytail; Though, she still had some of her bangs covering her special eye. "And would you like anything Ms. Kurumi?" I asked. "No, my meal from yesterday should keep me content." she said, giving me a warm smile. I wasn't sure if she was joking or not. I felt it best to ignore it. I called the front desk and placed my order. A short time later, my breakfast, which consisted of two eggs scrambled, white toast and some bacon arrived.

She watched me as I took my time eating my meal, smiling.


	8. Update

[This isn't part of the story, but I felt as though I needed to update it. This is just a quick thank you to all of you who have stuck with the story this far! I never really thought it would get to this point. Recently, my story, with all chapters combined, has reached 1,000 views! I know it may not mean that much to the writers who post like, fifty stories a day, but this really means a lot to me. I hope the rest of the story turns out as smoothly as I hope it will and I hope you all enjoy what's left to come. Friendly reminder to keep your eyes open to references to other animes and stuff like that.]

Again. Thank you all so much!

-Dahunts, a.k.a, Shawn Ecker


	9. Chapter 8

After finishing my meal, she finally spoke. "Perhaps some new clothing will do you some good? Maybe I'll even find something for myself?" I looked down at what I was wearing. Torn jeans, filthy hoodie, disgusting shirt and putrid socks. (I won't even go into details about my underwear.) It was obvious that I was in need of some new attire. "Would you be willing to spend that kind of money on me? You've already done so much for me." I asked. "Only if I get to see you in it." she said, smiling. I took it as another one of her jokes, and gave her a slight smile in return. We left the room, making sure to lock it behind us. I didn't realize it at the time, but that hotel room would become my new home.

We walked out of the hotel lobby. It was still as misty as it was before. The snow that recently fell was still lying on the ground and by the looks of the clouds overhead, I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed again. We made our way to a nearby clothing store, not far down the road from where the hotel was.

I remember the unpleasant eeriness of that day.

I noticed there weren't many people around; There weren't even any cars on the road. The thought bothered me a bit, but it was even weirder inside the store.

We walked into the store and I instantly admired how large it was. It was also pleasantly warm and pretty clean (for the most part). I looked around and saw a few couples shopping together; Always staying within arm's length of each other. But that's why it was strange. I noticed the same pattern with every shopper; They were never alone and always remained so close to each other. As Kurumi walked off to go look at clothing, I noticed a local newspaper rack by the entrance of the store. And of course, right there, on the front page headline was the title "Stay off the Streets!" I picked up the newspaper and skimmed through it a bit. As it turns out, the local police examined the scene of a recent murder; The murder I helped take place in just the day before. With the mess my cannibalistic companion had left, I wasn't surprised the police would soon find it.

I felt like such a piece of shit.

In any case, it at least gave me an explanation as to why there were so few people out and about that day.


	10. Chapter 9

I put the newspaper back and caught up with Kurumi a little further down the store. "Shawn, go pick out a pair of pants to wear. I'm going to pick out your shirt." she instructed. I nodded and walked directly towards the jeans. Rain or shine, heat or snow; No matter what day, month, or season, I always prefer to wear jeans. The pair I was wearing then were definitely worn out. Dirt stains and tears down the shins certainly weren't anything to be proud of. I picked out a pair of Denim loose fit in my size and even got a belt for it. On the way back, I found a light, black zip-up hoodie on a rack. I didn't think Kurumi would mind, so I took it.

I walked back to Kurumi. She held out a shirt with buttons down the middle. Inside was a T-shirt sewn into the top shirt. The sleeves had buttons in case I wanted to keep them rolled up. To top it off, it was a nice charcoal-black.

I have to admit, she knew my taste in clothing pretty well.

"Go try them on." she instructed again. I nodded and took the clothes to a changing booth. I locked the door and quickly got undressed. I was pretty eager to get into some new clothes, but I realized I would also need a new pair of socks and underwear. I knew it would be a little embarrassing to admit to her, but I also knew she'd understand the situation I was in. I put on the pants and tightened them with the belt, followed by the new shirt she picked out for me. The T-shirt inside was incredibly comfortable, especially compared to the grimy grease-trap I had on before. I then buttoned up the chest and the sleeves after rolling them up. It felt so fresh to have a change of apparel on. I kept the clothing on to show Kurumi, but as I left the stall, there she stood, waiting in front of the door.

"You wear them well." she said, holding her hand to her cheek. "er, thank you. But.." I was hesitant to tell her I needed even more clothes, such as boxers and socks. "I figured you would need these as well." she interrupted as she held out a pack of boxers and socks.

It's as if she was inside my head.

"Thank you Ms. Kurumi.." I said, obviously embarrassed. "Now go back and change into your old clothes. I need your help with something." she told me. I nodded and re-entered to booth. I guess it was time to go back to my old clothes and filthy hoodie.

I left the booth, carrying all the new clothes. Carrying that much seemed like a burden, so I picked up a nearby basket and used it to carry my new outfit. I then wandered around the store for a short while and eventually found Kurumi. She was standing near some bras and panties, admiring them. I was a little hesitant to walk up to her there, but she said she needed my help, so there was nothing I could really do about it. I took a deep breath and walked up to her.

"Hey" I called out, still hesitant with what she needed help with. And of course, it was exactly what I didn't want it to be. She asked me the exact question I didn't want to hear at that point.

"Do you see anything that would look good on me?" she asked innocently.

God dammit.

I took a moment to look through the underwear, trying to keep my cool. Let me just say, I was in no way a pure man. I thought about sex just as much as the next guy. I even found Kurumi to be overwhelmingly attractive. But I didn't want to give her that impression. I swore my loyalty to her; It wouldn't seem right to just hit on her (Not to mention she kills and eats people). But I digress. There were definitely a lot of designs and combinations to be made.

God-fucking-dammit.

Most of the bras there were front-fastening. There was one that, let's just say, caught my attention. It was white-laced bra that seemed decent enough. "How about that one?" I suggested while pointing to it. "That one is too small." she said. "Sorry, but I don't know your size." I insisted, hoping to get out of the situation.

"36 C." she assured me.

It was then that I realized she had little to no shame.

I tried to act casual and continued searching through the bras. One in particular caught my eye; I could have sworn I've seen it before.

**It was a regular white, back-hook bra that had the design of angel wings on the front.** It looked so familiar to the point that it was really bothering me. But I digress.

"What about that one?" I said, pointing to it. She laughed a bit. "We both know I'm far from an angel! Besides, white doesn't really suit me." I could see what she was saying. By the looks of her, I would say black was more her style. I searched carefully and found a black back-hook bra with a decorative lacing on the front. I took it off the rack and gave it to her, confident that she would like it. She smiled, nodded and took it. As for the panties, I found a matching pair of black with a lace design matching the bra. I picked it out and gave it to her. She smiled again and took it.

"Now, was that so hard?" she joked.

I was less than amused.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to want to see me in them, would you?" she joked again, winking.

Again, I was less than amused.

"You really are no fun Shawn." she said in a childish tone. "Sorry. I'll work on it." I replied. We proceeded to the checkout and bought our new clothes. I noticed we were running a little low of the cash on hand. We then left the store; I was carrying all our new clothes in a bag. "Shawn." she started, looking to me. "I have something I must take care of. Go buy anything you need that is hygiene related." She then handed me the last of the money we had. "I'll meet you back at the hotel." she continued. "Oh, and do something with that beard of yours." she finished, smiling. I felt my face. Being homeless, I didn't really worry about things such as shaving. I smiled and nodded. "Thank you again Ms. Kurumi." I assured her. I then began to look for a nearby pharmacy.

But what was that business she had to take care of? I was afraid to ask.

I turned around to see her, but she was already gone.


	11. Chapter 10

It didn't take me long to find a pharmacy nearby. I walked in and found there were only a few people in there as well. Within a couple minutes, I was able to get a toothbrush, toothpaste, some body soap, shampoo, a razor, some shaving gel, and even a pair of nail clippers. I proceeded to the checkout and was even able to get a candy bar in front of the register. The guy behind the register was quick to help me out. I guess he didn't feel safe; With the recent murder and all. I left the store with only a few dollars left.

I made my way back to our hotel room, finishing the candy bar on the way there. I entered the room to find that Kurumi wasn't done with whatever she had to do. I figured that since I was alone, I'd use that time to groom myself. I went into the bathroom to shave, making sure I threw the discarded hair into the garbage can next to the sink. I then took a shower using the shampoo and body wash I bought earlier. For the first time in a long time, I smelled and felt clean. I got out of the shower and dried myself using a towel provided by the hotel. I knew using a public towel wasn't the best idea, but at this point, I wasn't complaining. I then opened up my packets of boxers and socks. I dressed myself in my new clothes. I put my old clothes in the bag, but I made sure to take out Kurumi's new clothes first; Wouldn't want them getting dirty. I laid her clothes on her bed. Then I brushed my teeth, which, in itself, felt so sanitizing. Finally, I cut my nails, making sure to collect them and throw them away.

Thanks to her, I finally felt human again.

By the time I finished everything, Kurumi returned; A satisfied grin on her face. In her hand, she held a **Fender** acoustic guitar; Some blood was stained into the body of it. "Well, don't you look nice and clean!" she exclaimed.

I forced a slight smile.

"So, what was it you had to take care of?" I asked, not entirely sure I wanted the answer. "Oh, yes. I was hungry again. I went out and found a man who was abusing a poor, defenseless dog. I took care of him quickly. But unfortunately, there was a witness, so I couldn't let him get away. This was his instrument." She held up the guitar. "This happened at a park; Nice little secluded area. It's just a shame it was too cold for any birds to be there. The birds around here are pretty."

I was less than amused.

In fact, I was just shy of being mortified. The same person who gave me food, clothing, shelter, and a feeling of humanity slaughtered three people in the span of two days. I had to fight these feelings of guilt and compassion. I had to start dehumanizing myself if I wanted to survive around her. What else could I do?

They sat there; The soldier still frantically writing in his notepad. "So that's three confirmed kills?" asked the soldier. Shawn nodded. The pack of cigarettes was empty. Both of them could probably use some more. "At this rate, every person gone missing will be accounted for. Continue." the soldier commanded.

She walked over to her bed and sat down; Across from her was me on my bed. "Do you know how to play?" she asked, handing me the guitar. I did my best to remain neutral. I used to be able to play a few chords. But now, I'm not so sure."I said, taking the guitar.

I could almost feel the poor soul's final moments of agony in his instrument.

I tried to put the feeling out of my mind and began playing a bit. Some notes I hit almost perfectly. Others, not so much.

To put it simply, I sounded like shit.

But, she smiled, almost as though she was enjoying herself.

I stopped playing. "...How was that?" I asked, just to make conversation. "...Pretty awful. But that's why practicing is a thing." she said, smiling. I let out a small laugh and nodded.

I looked at the clock on the wall. It read a little past five p.m. Why was time moving so fast lately? "Oh! I almost forgot!" Kurumi began. She held out a small stack of money. "The degenerate who kicked the dog had quite a lot of money. The guitar player, not so much."

The last thing I wanted to think about was the murders. But, at least I know we had money again. "Well, today certainly was eventful." she began. "I'm going to to go take a shower now. Here." She handed me some of the money. "Go get yourself something to eat. You can go take some time for yourself; Maybe take a walk or something. Just don't be out all night. I might get lonely." She smiled. she picked up her clothes and walked into the bathroom before I even had a chance to thank her.


End file.
